


'cause everything else is a substitute for your love

by HazelSage



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Femslash February, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-15 00:06:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13601334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazelSage/pseuds/HazelSage
Summary: A collection of drabbles/one-shots for Femslash February 2018: let's hope to get more than last year!2/1: Sparks - Morgana agonizes over the fact that she feels electricity whenever she touches Gwen... which happens rather more frequently that she thought it did.





	'cause everything else is a substitute for your love

**Author's Note:**

> Hey folks! Here's my second attempt at Femslash February! I have more ideas this time, so I'm excited to see where this goes. Mostly Morgwen, probably with some Alyanette/Alyabug, but I won't tag it until I write it! Hope y'all enjoy :)

Morgana wished she could remember when she was dead.

She knew, intellectually, that when she was dead, her thoughts and memories and everything just ceased to exist. But hell, magic and reincarnation were _definitely_ real, so didn’t that mean the afterlife was too?

Besides, when she’d finally returned, there’d been a peace between her and Arthur, her and Gwen, her and others she’d done wrong by and who had done wrong by her; didn’t that mean they’d made up somehow in the intervening time between the end of their first lives and the beginning of their second? There certainly hadn’t been that peace between herself and Merlin, who had never died. That had taken a lot of long nights, a lot of shouting, and a lot of whiskey (oh God, _so_ much whiskey) for things to settle down.

She just desperately needed to know where matters stood between her and Gwen. God knows they were close, as close as they’d been before she’d learned of her half-sister and her true parentage. While Gwen certainly wasn’t her lady’s maid anymore, so they did not spend close to as much time together as they once did, they spent much of their free time in each other’s company.

When Morgana got out of her women’s studies class, she beelined to Morrison’s Café, where Gwen was sure to be waiting with an absurdly complicated coffee order for both of them, and pastries if she was lucky. When Gwen finished her political science course, Morgana would be lurking in the hallway outside the classroom with some hot tea, scowling at anyone who invaded her space in the mad rush to leave. There were brunches on weekends, late night movie nights, even later pub crawl nights, and more nights on Gwen’s couch than she’d care to admit.

And yet…

And yet, they were still just friends. Don’t get Morgana wrong, she was thrilled to be Gwen’s friend again, especially after those seven years of enmity at the end of her life in Albion. But Morgana had _always_ wanted more. And her body knew it.

Morgana and Gwen had never shied away from touch, and this was certainly no different in their modern lives. They linked arms as they walked down streets, brushed hair out of each other’s eyes when the other’s hands were full, sat with knees or sides flush when watching movies on Morgana’s ratty old couch, threw arms around each other’s necks for balance when tottering down the street, drunk in heels. And every time, _every_ time, Morgana swore she’d been electrocuted.

No, no, that was too harsh. But it was undeniable that every time she touched Gwen or Gwen touched her, tingles ran up and down her body, epicenter wherever the contact had started. When Gwen had kissed her cheek in celebration after passing an exam she was sure she’d fail? God, Morgana had just about _died_ , and it certainly wasn’t from relief.

“Morgana!”

Startled, Morgana turned to see the subject of her musings waving from the door to the coffee shop. She smiled immediately in response, waving the girl over. Her smooth, sepia skin was highlighted by her lavender blouse and bright white trousers and Morgana felt her heart pounding quicker in her chest.

“You look lovely, Gwen.”

“Thanks,” Gwen smiled back, corkscrew curls bouncing as she tossed her head back. “Speech for Poli Sci.”

“I’d forgotten,” She passed a coffee towards her grateful friend. “How did that go?”

“I think it went just fine,” Gwen looked down, sipping the drink.

“Nonsense, I’m sure it was perfect as always.”

When Gwen just blushed ever so slightly, Morgana rolled her eyes, “Come now, Gwen, you were a _queen_. After giving speeches to the masses in Camelot, this has to be a no-brainer.”

Gwen’s laugh was throaty and spell-binding. “I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I am,” she sniffed in fake haughtiness before letting her face fall back into the genuine grin that was always her default with Gwen around. “Now, the food should be here any minute; I got our usuals.”

“Thank you, Morgana,” Gwen reached out to press a hand to hers, and Morgana had never been more grateful that she’d always been phenomenal at controlling her blushes. More sparks.

“Always,” she cleared her throat to make sure her voice wasn’t as swoony as she felt. “Now, I must tell you about the most ridiculous thing that happened in Lit today…”

Their conversation was as engaging and pleasant as always, and Morgana almost forgot her quandary in the sheer joy of Gwen’s company, until their parting hug, when electricity ran up and down her spine as she squeezed Gwen just a _little_ too hard.

“You’re coming to the pub tonight right?” Gwen confirmed as they started going their separate ways outside the coffee shop. “Merlin swears he is going to get Arthur drunk so he’ll embarrass himself at karaoke!”

Morgana laughed. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Gwen smiled and waved goodbye, rushing off to her engineering course. Morgana swore she’d bury herself in her work, trying to forget the way Gwen’s smile seemed to keep her warm in the freezing wind as she hurried back to her flat.

As life usually goes, she took a nap instead, hardly waking up in time to get ready for the night out.

“You’re late!” Gwen explained, but refused to let Morgana even begin to explain before latching onto her arm and dragging her to the table their ragtag group had acquired. Elyan was up badly warbling some slow Elvis love song, and Morgana vaguely recalled him losing a bet to Gwaine, the specifics of which she did not want to recall. Poor Elyan, he should really know by now that you should never bet against Gwaine.

True to promise, Merlin managed to get a clearly inebriated Arthur to sing Wannabe while their group howled with laughter in the background. Morgana pulled out her phone out, then laughed as Gwen pulled it down, whispering to her, “My camera is better, let me!”

Gwen managed to avoid getting up on stage, but Morgana got roped into (mostly) friendly dueling duets with both Merlin and Arthur at various points. She absolutely smashed Arthur, she was sure, but damn that wizard, it was a close one with him; she was convinced he’d used magic to get the crowd more frenzied for him.

The night went on, the pub getting rowdier and rowdier until the group could hardly hear each other talk. Gwen sat pressed to Morgana’s side, leaning in close to hear what she was saying and to shout at her in return.

Morgana was mildly distracted by a flailing, but good-natured argument between Percival and Lancelot on a subject she couldn’t quite be sure of (but she thought could possibly be cheese?) when she heard a voice say quietly, “God, you’re pretty.”

Shocked, she turned to Gwen, who blushed, looking like she hadn’t meant to be heard. Didn’t she know Morgana was _always_ paying attention to her?

“I’m sorry?” Morgana _couldn’t_ have heard what she thought she did, could she?

Chin going up, Gwen met her eyes and said clearly, “You’re gorgeous, Morgana.”

“I…” For once, Morgana was at a loss for words. Her and Gwen complimented each other often, but this felt… different. There was somehow more behind her words than there had ever been before.

When Morgana continued to stay speechless, Gwen rolled her eyes, “Really, Morgana…” she said, pulling away briefly to get her hand free and place it on Morgana’s cheek. She leaned in, then paused, looking deep into Morgana’s eyes to see what she wanted.

“Oh God, yes,” she breathed, leaning forward to capture Gwen’s lips with hers.

And holy _shit_ , did she say she felt sparks before? That was nothing, _nothing_ compared to the fireworks that rattled through her bones as Gwen pressed forward, capturing her top lip between hers. Gwen smiled into the kiss before pulling away, glancing towards the others at the table. No one had noticed, except Merlin, who winked when they stood up and made their excuses to a round of slightly drunken complaints from the others.

But Morgana didn’t care; she pressed up to Gwen’s side as they linked arms, then chased those sparks all the way home.


End file.
